Where No One Goes
by Frigyt
Summary: She never asked for any of this, but fate gave her a poor round of cards to play. Eventual Snake Eyes x OC. Begins in Retaliation.
1. Prologue: Into the Air

**Hello! Thanks for stopping by!**

**I'm crazy for writing two stories at once, but this will be a rather short story; I don't expect more than 15-20 chapters at most. It starts after the remaining Joes return with Roadblock to his old stomping grounds, and introduces you the the OC. Reviews are much appreciated, as there is once again, no beta reader, and my first time writing in the GI JOE verse. Enjoy!**

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Home sweet home for now for Cathrine Blac was a hollowed out air conditioning unit on top of an abandoned and crumbling three story building in the slums just outside the hubbub of Washington D.C. It was her first ever haunt, one that she had cleaned out and stayed in for at least four years when she had first been kicked out of her home. It was all cobwebs and dust, but the furniture she had lugged up the fire escape was still here, as well as some old clothes that, to no surprise, still fit.

It's not that she wanted to return to D.C., she had been called back by some old pals. Growing up and around this neighborhood had never been easy, but her skill set had made life a little easier and found her a few friends for life. Whenever they needed a favor, she was always willing to help, even it took her two days to run to them. Stoop had called this time, and it had sounded urgent; that what led her back to the old stomping grounds.

Cathrine finished sorting through her backpack and slipped on some gear, her regular running tank and stretchy polyester pants, with her sturdy shoes finishing off the deal. Her smart phone and other essentials were strapped into her backpack in heavy padding, keeping them safe in case of a fall or a roll.

"Okay, here we go. Haven't seen Stoop in two years, but a favor is a favor. You made a promise, Cat," she murmured, giving herself a little pep talk before jumping and catching the edge of the opening to her hideout, pulling herself out to stand on top. The sun was starting to make its way over to the horizon, and Cat began her run, knowing she would be late if she didn't hurry. Stoop was on his usual corner, and she still remembered that it was four blocks away. She hopped on two feet before beginning to run, the edge of her rooftop coming up quickly. This was an easy leap, and she hit the next rooftop running. At this one she climbed a drainpipe to reach higher ground, before vaulting over a railing and rolling when she hit the next rooftop. The last few were so close together that they were mere skips to cross the gaps, but no doubt lethal if a misstep occurred. But she was sure footed, and Cat's trust in her feet never faltered as they carried her over buildings toward her destination.

She slowed to a walk, and then slid onto her belly and wiggled to the edge as she heard Stoop threatening someone. She wasn't a fighter, and was only half-assed on a firearm; her stealth and speed were her only weapons, and if this turned into an altercation, she'd be the first one out and the first one back with help. But Cat felt her stomach drop happily into her toes when she saw who Stoop was speaking with. She knew he couldn't be dead; the media was full of lies.

Scooting backwards, she stood back up and gave herself a running start, leaping from the building to Stoop's truck, landing in the bed of the truck and leaping over the side, before flinging herself at Roadblock, arms wrapping tightly around him in as big of a hug as she could give him.

"I knew you were alive, you stubborn bastard." Cat pulled away, smiling slightly. It was then she noticed the two Desert Eagles pointed at her, ans she jumped back behind Stoop so fast that his hair whooshed back from the wind.

"At ease, you two, come on, we established this." Roadblock fixed them with a look, and the weapons were put away, and Cat slunk back out cautiously.

"Sorry Block, she just... dropped out of the sky, literally." A young man spoke up from his left, shoving hands in his pockets.

Roadblock let out a loud laugh. "She does that. Flint, Lady Jaye, this is Cathrine Blac, codenamed Panther. She specializes in reconnaissance, speed and stealth."

"That's all though," Stoop spoke up from behind her, crossing his arms over his hulking chest. "Marvin, I called her back because I thought you would need her, don't you put her in the line of fire, you hear me?"

"I hear you, I hear you, Stoop. I've known her longer than you."

"I am still here, and I know my own limits." Cat stepped forward, offering a hand to Flint and Lady Jaye to shake, before turning back to Roadblock. "Nice to meet you both. What do you need me to do?"

"Panth, if you could scout the area, be our eyes and ears on the streets and the roof..." Cat held up a hand to Roadblock, stopping him.

"Say no more, Block." She ran to he fire escape, powering up it and pulling herself up onto the roof again before looking down and waving to the group. "Race you to your new Pit!"


	2. One: Down the Hatch

**Super short chapters, as promised! I like keeping them short, I can put out like two or three in a day. I'm trying to move this as fast as possible with and much detail as possible and keeping it close to the movie plot. They're may be some deviation later. :) Enjoy!**

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It was about eight o'clock and the streets were dark when Cat slipped into the new Pit through a smashed window, yanking back when her palm was scratched with some glass left on the window sill. She glanced at it quickly, determined it didn't need stitches, and wrapped her bandana around the cut to stem the blood.

"Enough for a battle." She heard Roadblock from the other room, and quietly, she swung up into the metal rafters and cat walked across them, sitting down silently above the two males and simply watching. She looked at all of their ammo and, despite not knowing much about guns, she could even tell that the ammo was not enough for whatever their goal was.

"But not a war." Flint looked at Roadblock, eyes holding uncertainty, and he caught sight of Cat sitting on the beam. He jumped, hand twitching toward a pistol. Cat dropped down next to Roadblock, who didn't even flinch as her feet touched the floor.

"Area is clear; no suspicious faces found with CIRIS. I've mapped out six escape routes for you guys in case of an emergency, as well as made a copy of my sewer map and street view map." Cat dug the three tubes out of her backpack, handing them to Roadblock. He nodded his thanks and pulled the maps out to look at them. They were, as always, impeccably detailed, with little footnotes everywhere.

"CIRIS?" Flint looked at her curiously, eyes wary. "What in the world is that?"

Cat cracked her knuckles nervously, looking at Roadblock for help. Cat wasn't sure about Flint; if he gave even just one of her secrets away to the wrong people, it could jeopardize her and the ones who depended on her. Roadblock came to her aid, however, giving Flint a warning glance.

"If it was important, she would tell you. How's that?" Roadblock motioned him to a room were Lady Jaye was calling to them, and Cat adverted her eyes from Flint's curious gaze. She'd love to tell, but sometimes it just needed to be kept a very tight secret.

"Panth, you coming or did Flint scare you off?" Roadblock called, and she trotted after them, hanging behind Roadblock while Lady Jaye discussed her findings about the President.

"So," Cat piped up from the back, and immediately felt her ears turn read when they all looked at her. "The president is not...well, THE president?"

"Exactly. Well, I think so," Lady Jaye said, giving her a small smile, trying to ease her uncomfortable posture. Cat just shrunk back further, wanting to be running and free again on the rooftops. This was too long indoors. She was only ever inside this long if she was collecting a payment or if she was sleeping.

Roadblock must have felt her restlessness and turned to her. "Panth, ready for some reconnaissance?"

Cat glanced at him, shuffling a bit on her feet, before reaching down to retie her shoelaces. "Always. You name it."

"I need you to monitor the President from the inside. Can you get into the White House? See if there's anything related to an organization named COBRA?" He looked in her face as she stood back up, taking in her appearance. She was tired, anyone could tell from the bags under her eyes, but the spark and freedom she carried was constant and unwavering. Cat wasn't like that scrawny thing he had found stealing from him ten years ago, so close to death and starving.

"I'll be back tomorrow by midnight." There was a breeze as she ran from the room, vaulted over the table and shimmied out the window she had entered from, minding the glass. Dropping onto the street, she looked for the nearest manhole and glanced around to make sure she wasn't being watched. When she was sure the area was clear, she dropped into the hole and closed the cover back over her head. She turned her shoulder lamp on to alleviate some of the darkness and slid down the rest of the ladder, hitting the bottom in no time.

"Okay." She whispered to herself, pulling out her smart phone. She punched a few buttons and a holographic map lit up off to her side, an easy tracking system. She inputted which exit she wanted, and it gave her the fastest running route. Clipping her phone into the other shoulder harness on her backpack, she glanced at the route one last time before speeding off, a blinking red dot on her map keeping track of her progress.

"Just like a hundred times before Cat." She breathed to herself. A rat skittered by her feet. "A hundred times before. Except, you know, this could not be the actual president and may be an impostor hell bent on killing the world. Ha. Great. Just what kind of favor did you agree to?"


	3. Two: Thrown Away

**Ah yes, here's to fleshing out Cat more. She'll have a full back story later as we go, but here's a peek. CIRIS is also explained in this chapter. Enjoy, and make sure to let me know if you like it! :) **

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The Oval Office was a gold mine of information for Cat. When she had thoroughly encrypted her phone just like she was taught, and made herself comfortable in an air duct right above the president's desk, she activated CIRIS and watched it do its thing. Immediately two of the president's secret service agents were facially recognized and slid through countless databases. They came back with suspected relations to COBRA, and that would have had been enough evidence for the JOES.

But the real treat was when the man himself walked into the office, simply sitting in his office chair, flipping through some papers. CIRIS scanned him, finding no facial errors, and asked if Cat wanted to delve deeper. She hit 'Yes' on her device and watched as it scanned his retina, checked his teeth, and analyzed his pheromones.

That was when the device caught a trace on the retina. It wasn't the same that CIRIS had in the system; the pattern was all different. What caught her attention was that the retina pattern was not recognized by CIRIS. That was impossible; CIRIS stood for Complete Identity Recognition Intelligence Software; it knew every person, could find any person in the world, and could track anything with a heartbeat. It was given as a gift to Cat after she performed a favor for possibly the most paranoid person on the planet.

This was the information she needed; it confirmed that the president was not who they thought. Her attention peaked again when a briefcase was brought in; she couldn't see much of it, but there looked to be some kind of symbol on it. She did her best to get a picture of it, storing it in her phone for later.

The Oval Office cleared out at about four P.M., and Cat made her way back to her entrance point, scooting ever so slowly through the air duct as to not make any sounds. She dropped into a lower duct and rolled to avoid injury, and traveled east, before dropping down again. She double checked her map, and confirmed her location, before unscrewing the vent cover carefully and slipping down into the trash room. She approached a trash can and lifted the bag out carefully, before squishing herself inside and replacing the bag. Trying to remain as calm as possible, even though her heart was hammering, she pulled out her smart phone and reorganized and encrypted the files, prepping them to be pulled out of the phone when she got back. When the trash can began to move she held her breath, trying to not make a sound.

They dropped the trashcans outside, and when she heard the back door shut, she scrambled out and slid along the wall to the manhole. Ever so carefully, she lifted it open and slid down, making sure to hack the motion sensors before she did so, and slid back down the ladder, herself and the information safe.

"Okay, okay, okay." She began running, her map popping up and tracking her location. It would be two hours before she reached the Pit. "You did everything right there Cat, no need to be afraid. Deep breaths, pound the pavement."

As her shoes fell into a steady one-two-three-four beat, her tense muscles loosened up and she herself relaxed, letting the freedom of her feet moving relieve her worries. Blocking out the smell of the sewer, she made fast time, only breaking to drink.

Two hours later she was peeking through the manhole, making sure the coast was clear before she zoomed out, jumping through the broken window and rolling on the floor, cutting her hand once again. She ignored it and moved toward the main room, sneaking around the corner to where the rest of the JOEs sat.

"You have to see this," Cat breathed out in a rush, whipping out her smart phone. She clicked into her saved files and brought the holographic up, spreading out her data. She let the JOEs sift through it themselves, answering questions as they popped up.

"Your president is not your president," Cat confirmed. "But CIRIS can't tell who he is. That's extremely unusual. Find out who it is, you discover who called the strike on the JOEs and who has a vendetta this month against the world."

"We're already on it, Panther. Flint wasn't sure in your abilities, so we compromised with a back up plan." Roadblock gave his brother a look that was only slightly condescending. Flint couldn't look her in the eye, instead focusing on chewing his food very fine and staring at it.

"Oh." The sound came out very squeaky, and Cat felt her ears flame red. Always being doubted, that was the back story of her whole life. It followed her wherever she went. She grabbed her phone and it shut off the hologram, before stuffing it in her bag carefully. She stood once she was ready, slinging it over her back. "I should get going, get some sleep, yeah. Do you need me tomorrow Block?"

"1900 tomorrow, just so I can go over the plan with you." He was now glaring at Flint.

"Why don't you sit and eat Panther, you look hungry—" Jaye tried, gesturing at all the food, but Cat cut her off.

"No thank you, Lady Jaye. 1900 tomorrow, see you all." Cat went zipping out of the room, and the three of them watched her silhouette on the adjacent rooftop before it disappeared from a drop. It was quiet before Flint tried to break it.

"Block, I'm sorry, I should have-"

"Save it, Flint." The words came out cold as he swept from the table, dropping dishes in the trash. He turned and pointed a finger right at Flint's chest. "Besides, I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."


	4. Three: Problem

**Thanks for the favorites, follows, and review guys! Snake Eyes and the ninjas are finally here! Enjoy!**

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"Jaye, keep your head down. Be safe." There was a pause over the comms in Cat's ear from Flint's voice, before he addressed her directly. "You too, Panther."

"Yeah, thanks," Cat stuttered, surprised. She was currently sliding down a drain pipe and entering the venue via the back stairs, the same stairs Lady Jaye was going to be exiting if the plan worked. She ran up the stairs to the third floor, and then slung her backpack off her back. Opening it quickly, she pulled out the sealant for the door and hunkered down, listening through Lady Jaye's earpiece. She waited for the signal and crouched in the corner, listening for Jaye's footsteps.

A half hour later, Jaye bursts through the door, and Cat slammed it shut, spraying the sealant over the door. Lady Jaye took off her heels and the two women ran down the stairs, Cat jumping down the flights in order to scout ahead while Jaye reported in to Roadblock.

"He's heading out the front. You've only got one shot, Roadblock," Jaye breathed, hand to her earpiece as she followed after Cat.

Roadblock's voice came over loud and clear. "One in the chamber."

Cat waited for Lady Jaye to join her at the ground floor door before peeking outside, checking to make sure the coast was clear. As planned, Flint saw her and flashed the high beams on the truck, giving them the all clear. Cat hustled Jaye to the truck before scaling the brick wall of the alley, wall-running up and hoisting up on ledges and leaping clear for the roof.

"I've got eyes on," Cat reported, leaping over a gap and scaling a small water tower.

An explosion rocked the water tower, and Cat gasped, riding out the shock wave as the structure rocked back in forth. When she stabilized, There was a charred wall where the explosion had been, and Flint was screaming for Roadblock. Cat's heart dropped to her toes as she ran to the edge, trying to see.

Roadblock busted out of a side door, looking beaten and broken, with a man in a baklava standing over him. Cat began to run the roof, trying to get closer. Smoothly she jumped onto a lower ledge and rolled, landing on her stomach and scooting to the edge, just in time to see Flint ram the assailant and send him flying. Cat scrambled up and made an improvised leap, landing in the truck bed and crouching down, out of sight. She felt the car ram into reverse as Flint tried to ram the man again, but only succeeded in hitting another car and giving Cat a mini heart attack.

Roadblock stumbled into the car, confirming he was okay to the group before Flint sped off towards the Pit, Cat laying low in the truck bed until Roadblock gave her a pained "all-clear." She jumped out and slung one of Roadblock's arms over her shoulders.

"Who was that?" She whispered, trying to not draw attention to them from Jaye and Flint.

"Firefly." Roadblock eased into a seat, grunting as he hit the base of the chair. "He's working with someone called Cobra Commander."

Cat's blood ran cold, but she tried to keep her face impassive. "That's the bad guy?"

"The ultimate bad guy," Roadblock confirmed, smiling slightly despite everything. That's how they always used to play when they were younger. They used to pretend to be superheros and fight villains, and the final villain they always fought at the end of the day was the "ultimate bad guy."

"Huh." Cat left the conversation hanging as she shuffled her feet, then untied and retied her running shoes. Roadblock watched her, wondering if he should ask what was bugging her, but decided against it. If she wanted to tell him, he had faith in her that she would.

Flint and Lady Jaye came back, changed and refreshed, and Roadblock grabbed the leftover Chinese food and they all began to eat. Cat stood awkwardly, rubbing her arm, not really knowing what to do. She wasn't part of this family, this merry group of three; she was an outsider, and although Roadblock was her friend, she was still a stranger to his world.

"Um, well then, if I'm not needed-" Cat began, but was cut off with CIRIS going ballistic in her side shoulder case. She tapped the screen and it alerted her to three unrecognized incoming heat signatures. Her eyes widened and she turned the map in the air, showing the JOEs eating at the table. They all stopped to listen, and Cat did too; she could just faintly hear the sound of footsteps incoming.

"Guys, move." The JOEs all spread out, going to entrances. Cat panicked, not knowing where to go. She couldn't leave, and couldn't escape underground, so all that was left was to go up. She spring boarded up from the table and caught one of the highest beams, cat walking across it to where Roadblock was covering, and hopped up onto a higher beam and laid down on it, balancing her entire body and focusing on staying quiet and covered. It was extremely dark up here and filled with cobwebs, and Cat found it completely to her liking.

Cat had to press her face into the beam to keep steady, but when Roadblock's voice rang out in an address, she looked up slightly. There were three ninjas in the room, all making peace with the JOEs until Flint walked out with one he wasn't entirely happy to see. At this point, it was clear they were friend and not foe, so Cat sat on the beam instead of laying on it, watching the group below quietly, until CIRIS began to vibrate again. This time, it was picking up unfamiliar transmission, and Cat began to sweat. She knew what that meant; there was a tracking device in here somewhere.

She commanded CIRIS to scan the area around the Pit as she hung from the bar, and swung down to the lower beam before swinging onto the table, landing heavily. The three ninjas all spun around, swords unsheathed and ready. From up high they hadn't looked this fierce, but right now, Cat couldn't worry about that.

"Lady Jaye," Cat said, starting toward the woman until two blades crossed in front of her, one from the female ninja and the black clad one. Immediately Cat rolled backwards, back pedaling quickly with her hands up.

"Snake, it's okay, she's an old friend," Roadblock stepped in, pushing down the blades.

"She just dropped out of nowhere!" Jinx said, sheathing her blade. The black clad ninja didn't.

"She does that," Roadblock joked, laughing, but Cat wasn't having it. There was danger approaching.

"Now is not the time for jokes!"She yelled, pushing through the crowd. Roadblock quieted immediately, watching Cat. She only ever got loud if the need arose.

"Lady Jaye, where is your dress?" Cat questioned, hand beginning to run through her hair. Jaye looked at her, curious.

"In the makeshift lounge, why?" Lady Jaye blinked as Cat zoomed away, toward the area. She found the red dress and brought out CIRIS, and scanned it with the sensors until it detected the tracker. Cat ripped it off the dress, examining it to see if CIRIS could block the signal.

"No good," Cat whispered to herself. "This is no good."

Cat ran back out of the room, throwing the tracker at Roadblock. He looked at it with wide eyes, and Flint and Lady Jaye paled.

"Zartan must have planted it," Flint spoke, rubbing at his eyes. Cat was about to respond about how amateur this was, especially from elite soldiers, when CIRIS lit up again. There were unrecognized faces and heat signatures, and they were closing in fast.

"What do we do, there's to many to fight!" Jinx hissed, hand on her sword. The black ninja twirled his blades before taking a stance. Cat pulled up her holographic map, mind running through routes and plans. The safest plan now was route 4, but only if they moved quickly. Six people running couldn't move quick, but one could.

"Take escape route four, Block. I'll be the decoy," Cat started, snatching the tracker from his hand and placing it on her backpack. "You'll see an air conditioning unit abandoned on the factory roof on Juniper street. Hole up there until I swing by and say the coast is clear. Grab everything you need and get out of here."

"Woah, woah, Panther, what do you think you're doing?" He started after her, fully intending to not loose any more allies in this fight. But she was already shimmying out the window, not even flinching as her hands were cut up. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Isn't it obvious, Block? I'm running."


	5. Four: Integration

**Just what is CIRIS? ;)**

**Thanks for the faves, follows and reviews (you rock Guest!) Hope you enjoy this one! **

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"Panther, get your ass back to the Pit, we'll figure this out together!" Roadblock growled over the comms, and Cat rolled her eyes. This was the fourth time he pushed her to come back.

"Block, escape route four, go now. I can see the lights following me, but they might leave some officers behind. Go, come on!" Cat argued, using a rope to swing across a gap.

"Cat, you don't know who you're dealing with, these guys are-" Block tried to get her come back, but in the middle of his sentence the comms link shut off. She must have turned it off, he figured, and he slammed his fist into the wall. "Of all the irresponsible things she has ever done!"

"Block, come on," Flint tried, shouldering a back pack filled with provisions. "She's given us a chance."

Snake Eyes silently put a hand on his friend's shoulder, motioning toward the window and pointing at himself. He would go with her, lead them off with her. Roadblock nodded, and Snake Eyes followed Cat's path, through the window and up on the roof. He scanned the area and saw her shadow drop down about five blocks ahead of his position. He took off running, impressed she had already gotten that far.

"I don't know what I'm dealing with, ha!" Cat scoffed, spring boarding up onto a ledge. A bullet whizzed past her head, and she didn't even flinch. "He doesn't know what happened, he doesn't even know!"

CIRIS beeped out a warning then; there was a new heat signature coming after her, this one faster than the rest, and the face couldn't be scanned. Her heart rate picked up rapidly, situations running through her mind. It had to be a Neo-viper, those were the only things in the lab that ever came close to catching her, and they could morph their faces at will. She picked up her pace, getting ready to put distance behind her.

"Think you can catch me, COBRA?" She breathed, opening an app on her smart phone. She punched in commands and hovered her finger over the 'Yes' button. "I'd like to see you try, just like all the other times!"

She punched the screen, and Cat became CIRIS; she could see the whole world, analyze faces quickly, and find the fastest routes all through her eyes. It all zoomed by her as her brain went on autopilot, her legs pounding and breathing becoming regulated by CIRIS. CIRIS was her strongest weapon, her first line of defense, and her last resort.

The HUD in her eye bleeped again, warning her that her pursuer was coming closer. She pushed harder, reorganizing her course and flying across the rooftops, her main priority was to escape the blip that was getting exceedingly closer. She was so focused on how the dot was only ten feet from her position that she didn't even hear the sniper rifle go off.

She did, however, notice the katana that slammed into the brick wall next to her head, slicing a bullet in half and away from her head before she was tackled to the ground and pulled under cover. Cat came face to mask with the black ninja, who simply put a finger to his lips before glancing over their cover. CIRIS and Cat were furiously scanning everything on the ninja, flashing what little information it obtained on the ninja on the HUD in her eyes. It wasn't much, but it did show his projected top speed, and Cat filed that for later.

"I don't, who, what," she stuttered, searching the black mask but gaining no answers. The ninja did nothing to help ease her confusion, instead gently stopped her flailing and checked the area for the sniper. He was gone. Snake Eyes carefully let her up, and Cat immediately jumped away, posture tense and ready to bolt. Doing his best to reassure her, he tried to look nonthreatening, even pulling his katana out of the wall and sheathing it.

It was tense silence for minutes, Cat poised to run and Snake Eyes trying to silently reassure her that he was no threat. Slowly, Cat deactivated CIRIS from her nervous system, the HUD in her eyes and the all encompassing information leaving her brain. "You're, um, Roadblock's friend, right?"

The ninja nodded, taking a cautious step towards her. Cat nodded at him, holding out her hand to shake. "It's okay, you just startled me. I was...in the zone."

That was a little lie, Cat knew, but this was a new person who she didn't know at all. She thought it was acceptable. Nevertheless, he nodded at her, and made a few motions with his hands.

"Um." Cat was at a loss. He realized that she couldn't understand, and stopped, crossing his arms. Cat gave him a side glance, awkwardly bring up her map and coughing to appease the silence. Her eyes widened. She was twenty miles out, and she had beaten her own time. Whether she was learning how to control CIRIS better or it was taking over more of her was still a mystery. She hoped it was the former.

"I didn't realize how far out I went." Cat said, rubbing her arm. "Did you follow me the entire time?"

He nodded, and Cat felt even worse. "I'm sorry. Sometimes I just run and I-"

Cat's world spun, and one hand shot out to the wall, trying to steady herself. Feeling something wet drip down her face, Cat rubbed underneath her nose to find blood, and she felt her stomach churn. The ninja next to her as she dropped to all fours, heaving up the little energy bar she had eaten. Snake Eyes placed his hand on the woman's back, concerned; Roadblock hadn't mentioned any medical issues.

"I'm fine, fine, yeah, I'm fine." It sounded like she was trying to reassure herself more so than Snake Eyes. Her nose was still bleeding as she looked up, but she pulled herself up using the wall and leaned against it, eyes closed.

A moment passed before her eyes reopened, and took shaky steps toward him. Cat puffed air out of mouth, blowing out the blood. "Come on, we have to get back to the vent or they'll be worried."

Cat grabbed the tracker off her backpack and flung it, letting it rest somewhere. The sirens had long stopped, but just in case they decided to pick up the search later. Snake Eyes followed her carefully, but didn't reach out a hand to help; this woman was untrusting, and he had to be careful. Roadblock was depending on him to bring her home, and if she bolted again in the state she was in, she might not make it home.

"Well," Cat picked up a light jog, ignoring her spinning head and her still bleeding nose. "Let's get going, yeah?"


	6. Five: Riptide

**Oh goodness, you like it, you all really like it! :)**

**Enjoy the next chapter; this is a teeny filler before we hit the big battle and more drama. It's hard for me to write fillers, as I'm all about action, but without certain things being brought up and questioned, Cat's a very 2D character, I think. **

**So anyway, enjoy!**

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Cat dropped into the vent right after Snake Eyes, who had written his name down on a piece of paper once it was understood she didn't know sign language, but staggered when her legs hit the floor, a move that usually would have been nothing for her. Snake Eyes reached for her arm, trying to steady her, but Cat dropped down to one knee, both hands splayed on the floor, breathing heavily through her blood crusted nostrils.

"Cat!" Roadblock rushed over, kneeling next to her. He took one look at her bloody face and her labored breaths and turned to look at Snake Eyes, eyes ablaze. "What the hell happened Snake, I said look after her, not bring her back bloodied!"

Snake Eyes signed quickly, explaining he himself wasn't quite sure what had happened. Roadblock grabbed Cat by the shoulders and she looked up at him, lethargic and tired. He shook her a little as her head rolled to the side. "Cat, come on, talk to me."

"M'tired," she mumbled, trying to make her way to the ratty couch in the corner. Her guests had taken the mattresses she had set up around the space. She collapsed on it and almost immediately fell asleep, the blood loss and nausea finally getting to her.

Lady Jaye silently took out a water bottle and a rag, and gently began to clean the woman's face of dried blood, with CIRIS beeping lowly in warning, but Cat didn't stir. She was sleeping deeply, not to be bothered by Lady Jaye or her phone.

Snake Eyes tapped Roadblock on the shoulder to sign a question. 'Just what is the purpose of her phone?'

Roadblock sighed, rolling his shoulders and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I'm not sure, Snake, that's new. She didn't used to be such a tech junkie, but then again, I haven't seen her in almost five years."

"There, she should should be able to breathe easier," Lady Jaye stated, rocking back on her heels and standing up. "She just needs rest. And something to eat, as well."

They sorted the remaining individuals into watches, with two hour intervals. Although Roadblock was certain that the vent was a safe place to be, there was no harm in being careful. Storm Shadow took the first watch and slipped outside the vent, while the others settled in.

But Roadblock had a hard time sleeping. Snake Eyes was onto something; when did Cat become so into technology? Sure, he hadn't questioned it before due to the urgency of his mission, and it had helped him and his team escape and find answers...

A wave of guilt crashed over him. He'd been so concerned with his self appointed mission that he hadn't been looking out for Cat like he should have, and should have been wary of the signs with her new and extremely expensive tech. Where could she have gotten something like that?

He fell into a fistful sleep, already awake when Jinx tapped him for his watch. The sun was climbing the horizon as he scooted out of the vent. He seated himself, and watched the sun rise, thinking over the battle plan for the day.

"You didn't go over the plan with me, Block," Cat said, hopping up next to him. CIRIS had vibrated when she had received the maximum amount of sleep needed, so she woke up to talk to Roadblock and eat something. She munched on a stale granola bar as he slid his eyes over to her.

"Where did you get your phone, and that tech, Cat?" He asked, voice rumbling unhappily in his chest. She felt her stomach drop to her toes, but she kept a brave face.

"To put it in terms you understand, soldier boy; it's classified." Cat began to swing her legs back and forth over the edge of the vent. Roadblock slammed his hand down on the metal. Cat remained unfazed, watching the sun. "It's on a need to know basis, and right now, you don't need to know."

Cat's guests began to stir as the sun fully overcame the horizon, and she stood herself, popping her back and all her joints. Roadblock watched her, concerned as how he could count her ribs though her tank top. Shrugging, she offered him a hand, and said, "So, what's the plan?"

He sighed and stood with her help, explaining that they would crash at General Colton's house and flesh out the plan fully before the assault tomorrow. Cat rolled her eyes, flipping back inside the vent to gather an extra pair of clothes, these stealthier than her current pair. Saying good morning to the rest of the team quietly, she shoved her things into her backpack and scooted back outside into the open air, when she belonged and thrived.

One by one they climbed out of her little hole in the wall, and Flint jingled the keys. "We're taking the truck to Colton's. We may need it."

"I'll take the roofs," Cat said. "I'll watch for anyone tailing you."

It was like the state she had been in six hours ago was totally pushed from her mind, and before anyone could stop her, she was leaping rooftops and zipping across clotheslines. Roadblock sighed and rubbed his eyes, motioning for everyone to follow him down the fire escape, as he tried to push the annoying questions about his old friend out of his mind and focus on the mission.

Snake Eyes followed Cat until she was out of sight, and then met the ground team on the pavement. He signed to Roadblock. 'You're worried over her.'

Roadblock sighed, opening the passenger door and hopping in. "Always having answers but leaving questions in her wake; that's how Panther has always been and I'm afraid she'll never stop. Come on, Snake, we're Oscar Mike."


	7. Six: Modern Warfare

**I wish I was a regular updater for you guys but by now it's just a habit to be sporadic. :(**

**Cat's a big ol' ball of worms, ain't she? :)**

**Enjoy the chapter; action next, then drama! **

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Sitting on General Colton's roof, Cat had one arm looped around knees that were pulled to her chest, and fiddled with her phone in her other hand. She was rerunning her credentials and passwords, making sure they were secure. Roadblock was getting suspicious, and she couldn't have him searching CIRIS and finding out what it was. A roaring engine caught her attention and she looked out from behind the chimney, watching the remaining GI JOEs roll up in Stoop's truck.

"Where is she?" Cat heard Flint ask, hand over his eyes as he looked around. Cat ducked back behind the chimney, proceeding to crawl to the edge and use the lattice to descend. "Did we beat her?"

"Honestly, it's not a race, Flint," Lady Jaye chided from the front of the house, as Cat looped behind some bushes the neighbors had. She made it to the tree in the yard without being seen, and she scaled the branches to the one overhanging on Flint's head. He was so preoccupied with looking for her that he didn't notice that her weight had lowered the branch enough that Cat could whisper to him.

"I'm still faster," She said simply, and Flint gave out a yell, hand flying to the back of his jeans. His yell alerted the others, katanas were unsheathed, and Cat rethought her plan as she backtracked back into the thicker leaves, nervous now.

"Man, Panth," Roadblock scoffed, releasing his tight hold on his gun. "Don't do that. Everyone relax. Panther get the hell down here."

Quietly she descended, slinking behind Jinx, feeling like she was being scolded. It happened often; she would attempt to have fun and either reprimanded or yelled at. She was beginning to not want to be here anymore.

"Sorry," she murmured to no one in particular. Not that anyone seemed to be listening; the soldiers were already in the house, and Storm Shadow and Jinx following. Only Snake Eyes was close to her, and he gave no inclination of hearing. Cat sighed and moved inside the house, her anxiety at being inside rising significantly. Sticking to the walls, she watched everyone stock up on weapons, coming to rest near Storm Shadow and the window, in case a quick escape was needed.

Cat felt eyes on her person and she crossed her arms, adverting her eyes and looking outside. It didn't deter the owner.

"You look familiar," Storm Shadow drawled quietly, low enough that no others could hear with the commotion in the rooms. "Hello, Number Four."

Cat froze, her heart beginning to beat rapidly as CIRIS worked furiously to contain her adrenaline levels. It had activated itself as a result of the too-high levels, and the HUD blinked on in her eyes, analyzing Storm Shadow, giving her escape routes, and providing information on all the weapons and people in the room. It was little comfort that CIRIS believed she could outrun him. Storm Shadow watched her reaction carefully.

"I see. So your inhibitor is stronger than COBRAs activator; impressive." He settled himself back against the wall, arms crossed in a lax fashion and katana sheathed and between them. "Not that I particularly care anymore."

Now she really didn't want to be here anymore. Minute by minute, it looked like Cat was going to more involved than she originally thought, and she was becoming scared. She couldn't risk a run in with Cobra Commander; if Storm Shadow, who wasn't even heavily involved with her experiment, could recognize her, there was no way the Commander had forgotten his success story. Cat scurried across the room, away from Storm Shadow and toward Snake Eyes, who was admiring a set of automatic pistols. She kept a wary eye on Storm Shadow while also watching the others and having CIRIS scan the area constantly.

Snake Eyes glanced up at Cat as moved behind him, glancing at her quickly before her attention was once again pulled back. There were lights moving swiftly across her eyes; he couldn't tell what they were, as they were too tiny, but Snake Eyes noticed her smart phone had lit up also. It was running a black screen with green binary code, never stopping and constantly on the screen. As soon as he had seen it, however, it disappeared as Cat blinked, but she didn't take her eyes off of Storm Shadow. Behind his mask, Snake Eyes narrowed his gaze.

When Cat left to room to find Roadblock and get her orders, Snake Eyes walked close to Storm Shadow, who raised an eyebrow in feigned interest.

"What?" He hissed. Snake Eyes gestured toward where Cat had just exited, and Storm Shadow hummed in response.

"You have no idea who she is, do you, brother?" The last word came with venom, as his eyes narrowed and he shifted his weight. Snake Eyes shook his head, not liking the feeling beginning to pit in his stomach. Storm Shadow scoffed, watching the GI JOE's allies begin to arrive to plan the battle strategy. "She is the success story from COBRA's Project: Runner. Number Four was her designation, and she was the only success from the project. But you knew that, correct?"

The still form of Snake Eyes made Storm Shadow grin teasingly, his mouth moving to form the smile slowly and lecherously. It gave him his answer. "Don't feel bad, brother. She doesn't really exist, anyway. She's a ghost, and that's all she ever will be."


	8. Seven: Things Don't Fade

**I hope this is okay; this plot is like water, as it keep changing and evolving into new shapes.**

**Action next, and the big fight scene!**

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Snake Eyes made it a point to stop Roadblock after the meeting room had completely cleared of the other members of their assault team. He was still mulling over Storm Shadow's words, and they were bothering him the entire night.

'We need to talk about Cat, Roadblock.' He signed to his friend, leaning against the wall. Roadblock gave a sigh of weariness, plopping down in a chair the General had placed in the room for the meeting. Roadblock didn't want to admit it, but he was worried too. His old friend was hiding things from him; big things, and the worst part of it was that he couldn't find any information on her, at all. The General had given him access to his CIA contacts, and out of curiosity, he did a check on Cat.

Only to discover that Cathrine Blac did not exist.

At first, he could see why; she had grown up on the streets, living in boxes and stealing to survive. But he knew that Cat had had a stint in some foster homes when she was about 12 years old, because that was how they had met; they had been in the same home. The CIA couldn't find any record of it, anywhere. Cat had turned into a literal ghost.

"I... am as concerned as you are, Snake Eyes. She should have something on her, but she's been wiped completely from the system." Roadblock rubbed a hand over his face.

"You need better contacts." A folder slapped down on the table, Storm Shadow coming to stand in the room, but still aloof from the others as he crossed his arms. "I pulled strings and got you her file from COBRA."

Roadblock shot up from the seat and grabbed the front of Storm Shadow's jacket, face turning red in an instant. He put his face extremely close to the ninja's and gritted out, "Why does COBRA have a file on HER?!"

Snake Eyes placed a warning hand on Roadblock's shoulder as Storm Shadow barked a laugh at him. "Why don't you read it and find out why?"

The GI JOE leader stared down the ninja for another heartbeat before releasing him harshly with a push against the table. He placed his hand on the file for a split second, breathed out, and opened it. The first thing to greet him was Cat's face, but not a mugshot. These were all action shots, taken as she was stealing, or running, or hiding. They were dated back ten years; COBRA had been following her since she was fifteen. Then came her mug shot, at seventeen years old, where she looked frightened as she gazed right into the camera.

Project: Runner notes came next, detailing the purpose of the experiments; build better reconnaissance and spy units for COBRA by using a mental activator that could increase performance almost 110%. This was done using an experimental neural activator, that allowed for increased levels of adrenaline to be released when needed, and increased cognitive activity, allowing more parts of the brain to process at once to allow for more complete thinking and better memory.

Next came experiment notes, photos, and the fates of what happened to Number One, Two, and Three. One had lost all neural control of his body and had to be "forcibly disposed of;" Roadblock assumed that meant killed. Two had originally be marked as a success, but as the days after the experiment wore on, he became less and less stable until he killed himself. Three was still alive, but at the cost of cognitive function. He was surprisingly at the Walter Reed Hospital in D.C.

Cat, or Four as she was called in her file, was the only success. There were photos and documentation to how she first reacted to the procedure, and they made Roadblock's stomach churn. She looked terrified in each picture, as the serum was forcibly injected into her brain with no anesthesia, as the report noted. Pain, fear, each emotion ruined Roadblock. They had been scouting her for years, and he hadn't noticed, even when he had swore to always look out for her. They had taken her away and experimented with her for years, until the file noted she had escaped six years ago. He hadn't even known.

There was silence as Roadblock handed the file to Snake Eyes, who read it quickly, his stomach clenching. This explained so much, but left more questions. What was this CIRIS she kept referring to? How had she escaped? Was COBRA still after her? Was she a liability to the team?

Storm Shadow took out a lighter and burned everything in the file, opening a window and letting the ash float out. Roadblock put his head in his hands. He had known something was wrong, and he never caught the signs.

"Thank you Storm," he muttered, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes. The white ninja nodded and left the room quietly. Snake Eyes shifted taking in the information and trying to get the gruesome pictures out of his head. Roadblock mumbled from behind his hands. "I have to figure out what to do with her."

'You need to talk to her,' Snake signed, after getting his friend to look at him.

"And you know what she'll do when I try, Snake? She'll run away, because that's all she ever does is run. Now I know why. Hell, I'd run too if COBRA had shot me up with some crazy shit," He sighed, turning around and almost had a heart attack. Cat was sitting on the ledge, head hanging down, like she had just been scolded.

"I'm not running now, Block." She looked him in the eye, and he noticed they were hard and serious. "You weren't suppose to find out. Neither were you, Snake Eyes. I suggest you forget what you know; there are ways COBRA can extract that intel."

Ruefully she smiled. "I should know. Intel day always hurt."

"Cat-" Roadblock tried, but she had already jumped outside, away from his reach.

"You're in serious danger now, Block. I'll go through with your plan, because a favor's a favor, but then I'm gone; and you'd do yourselves if you erased me from memory."


	9. Eight: Icarus

**Action! What more could we want? :)**

**After this chapter we will start to deviate from the movie and it will become my own plot. That means more bonding time, more character background. **

**WARNING; Mild gore ahead. Not something that I think needs rated M. **

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"Foxtrot, you are good to go." That was Cat's signal, and she launched herself out from behind Echo Team's cover and ran along the bridge, gaining better visuals as she went. CIRIS and her nervous system had long since merged; she was monitoring her vitals on the HUD. So far, there was no indication that she would give out anytime soon, but she wanted to be prepared.

Her role in this was simple; take the best vantage point she could safely get, and provide eyes for the team. That was what she did best; she wasn't much of a fighter like Jinx, or a good aim like Lady Jaye. Cat was reconnaissance and spying.

That reminded her of last night, as she scooted down the bridge side to stand on an outcrop. Just thinking about it made her nerves pick up, which, thanks to CIRIS, were calmed again in seconds. But CIRIS couldn't stop the thoughts though; she was so worried that something would happen to the others now that they truly knew what had happened to her, why she dropped off the grid, why she had CIRIS. She couldn't stay around them, just like all her other friends, she realized with a heavy heart. They would be in danger, and she refused to allow them to be hurt of her own accord.

Her thoughts were cut short when CIRIS blinked a warning in her HUD, and she turned to see two things at once; an incoming COBRA helicopter landing on the shore, and the man of the hour himself, Cobra Commander. Memories of the experiments flashed in her mind, the pain, the torture, the screams of Number Three slowly loosing his mind each night and of Number Two sobbing in the background.

This man was evil. She knew that. He was escaping. She knew that as well; Snake Eyes and Flint weren't even on the scene yet.

But Cat was fast, she had CIRIS and it calculated that if she left within the next 10.4 seconds, she would be able to catch up to Cobra Commander and maybe make a difference for once. She wouldn't be running away this time; she'd be running toward the fight. She had to make a decision; let this man escape, or try to do something about it. Bunching her leg muscles, she closed her eyes, breathed out, and leaped.

Hitting the ground with a roll, she sprung out of it and locked in on the Commander's retreating back, who had almost reached the helicopter. CIRIS gave her about 30 seconds to reached him, and she sprinted for all she was worth. It felt like she was flying; being used to rooftops and alleys that stopped short, the chance to stretch her legs and run as fast as she could felt amazing.

CIRIS gave a beep, alerting her to two new faces on scene, and they were identified as Flint and Snake Eyes. She ignored them, almost to the helicopter now, pushing her limits and counting her pace in her head.

One, Two, Three, Four... each foot matched with the face of the other Project: Runner victims, and she thought of Jack, and Selene, and Diego, and finally of her. It took them four tries to perfect the formula, four lives forever changed for no reason than besides evil and domination. Cat would show COBRA just who had become stronger in the end.

Commander had stepped inside the copter and it had started to lift off when Cat made a giant leap and caught the foot rail, ignoring Flint yelling at her over the comms and Snake Eyes running for her. Cat pulled herself up onto the ledge, and with her momentum, she flung out a leg in an inexperienced kick to the Commander's back. It did the trick; he stumbled to the other edge of the open copter, grabbing the side to stop him from falling out. His head whipped around and Cat felt her stomach plummet as she once again looked into the mirror mask. Bravely she took up a fighting stance she had seen Snake Eyes use in practice, trying to make it look like she knew what she was doing.

"Well, well," the gravelly voice said from behind the mask, and he stood, the chopper beginning to go over the water after the pilot was told to continue. "You did survive. I thought the Siberian winter had claimed your life, Number Four. Come to grovel forgiveness?"

Cat launched herself at him, throwing a punch and a kick, neither doing much damage as the Commander blocked them all. She danced back out of the way of a push but caught a punch the the jaw, the force jarring her and sending her to the ground of the copter. Commander grabbed her by her hair and dragged her to edge of the copter, snarling as he spoke. "You never were a good fighter, Four. We added that in with Five and Six, but unfortunately they perished. Sadly, for you, you'll never meet Seven. Our true success story, unlike you."

"Screw you," Cat ground out, spitting on his boot. Commander slammed her face back into the metal, and she felt her nose break, blood spilling out. CIRIS alerted her to the damage as well, but she ignored it as Cobra Commander forcibly spun her around, so that her calves were hanging out of the copter. Cat tried to pull them back in, but he had her pinned too tightly.

"I'll make so you never so much as crawl again, do you hear me, Four?" Cobra Commander hissed, digging his knee into her back. He made a motion to the pilot, and the copter stopped, hovering in midair. Cat was able to turn her head and witness the copter's afterburners begin to rotate toward her legs, and before she could do anything, they activated, spewing flaming nitrogen.

Cat felt the bottom half of her legs disintegrate, and she managed to let out an agonizing scream, before CIRIS responded rapidly and began to shut off as many pain sensors as it could, trying to keep Cat functioning. She was just barley aware when the Cobra Commander leaned down next to her ear, and she could hear the sneer in his voice. "I hereby deem your experiment a failure, and relieve you from duty, Number Four."

And then she was falling, looking at the man she hated most walking back inside the helicopter after he shoved her out. Vaguely she heard Flint screaming, Roadblock yelling at her to respond, but all she kept staring at was her now missing feet and calves. They were gone, burnt to incineration, nothing but cauterized stumps that were still smoking.

Cat hit the salty sea water, and her world went dark, CIRIS beeping at her frantically as her body slowly floated to the top of the waves.

Flint was horrified. He knew Cobra Commander was evil, but never had he witnessed anything like that. He couldn't even respond to Roadblock, who was ordering him to tell him what happened. He turned to Snake Eyes to figure out what to do, but the ninja was already running toward the water, dropping weapons and swords as he plunged into the waves, free styling through the current with determination. He grabbed Cat's motionless body and swam back to shore, placing her on the sand and began to check vitals. She still had a pulse, and her breathes were extremely faint, but she was alive. Snake looked down at her missing legs and shook his head. Cat had tried to take on more than she could, and he didn't know if she would ever recover from it.


	10. Nine: Last Hope

**You're all really quiet about the last chapter. I hope I didn't scare you. I'm a mean author to my OCs. **

**However, I can now start adding more SExCat now that general introductions are out of the way. **

**I just wanted to say that this story has over 1,300 hits so far and I can't believe it. Thanks so much you guys! Make sure to let me know what you like about the story! I'm friendly I promise! **

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Cat awoke with a start, her hands flying to feel for her for the parts of her legs that were no longer there. Nothing but flat sheets and air. Cat felt her stomach drop into her stomach, and her eyes welled up with tears. She had been a fool, taken a risk she should have never taken. What the hell was she thinking? She wasn't a fighter, she was a runner, and she should have never initiated a pathetic excuse for combat with Cobra Commander of all people. She had acted on impulse, something she hadn't done in over twelve years. Cat knew better than that.

In the darkness of her hospital room, she simply cried.

It took an hour for Cat to get her sobs to quiet down, and she simply laid in her bed, blinking as she turned her head. She could see the Washington Monument from her window, and she sniffled and looked at her armband. To her surprise, she was in Walter Reed.

Cat wondered why she was there; she wasn't a soldier, and to the JOES, she must have been extra baggage after she lost her legs. She wondered who fished her out of the water and who dragged her sorry corpse to the hospital. And to receive medical care from one of the best hospitals in the nation? When did she earn this honor? When she let Cobra Commander escape?

The room was suddenly stuffy, and Cat couldn't handle it. Slowly she removed the IV from her arm, and, using all the strength she could muster, she used her arms to swing herself to the wheelchair next to her bed. She was dripping in sweat and seeing spots by the time she settled as comfortable as possible in it, but she had succeeded.

Slowly she rolled to the elevators, ducking under the nurse's station and hitting the button to the fifth floor once she was inside. Tears were still rolling down her face as she nudged open the door to room 513, an isolated and single room at the end of the hallway.

The room was lit up gently by the lights on the heart monitor, and carefully and painfully Cat rolled herself over to the bedside. Reaching out a shaky hand, she grabbed Number Three's hand, laying her head down on the mattress next to it.

"I screwed up, Diego," Cat began to cry again, letting her tears soak into the sheets. "I screwed up, and I've got nothing to show for it. I'm sorry."

Just like all the other times she would visit him, Diego gave a slight twitch of the fingers, a gentle squeeze to signal he heard, but he never moved, nor did he wake up. Cat immediately felt better in his presence, however, and felt her eyelids begin to droop as her body fought exhaustion and pain. When she was still Number Four, she would flee to Diego's room some nights when the nightmares were too horrible to bear, and they would take turns keeping watch while the other slept. His presence, even while stunned and comatose, was still comforting.

Roadblock stepped onto Cat's floor the next morning amidst chaos and nurses running around. He wondered what was happening as he walked to Cat's room, only to find the sheets empty and thrown back, and a doctor standing there stunned.

"Where is she?" Roadblock's voice had an edge of panic to it as he entered. The doctor looked at him and, realizing this was the immediate contact for the patient due to how many times Roadblock had been there, quickly explained that she was missing.

"Missing?" Roadblock's voice raised even higher. "How is she missing? She is missing half her legs!"

"Sir, please calm down," one of the nurses tried, pulling out a seat for Roadblock to sit down in. He collapsed into it, running his hands over his head before pausing in the act.

"Did you check room 513?" He asked suddenly, remembering the file that Storm Shadow had produced. The nurses glanced at one another before leaving the room, calling another nurse to help them. Twenty minutes later they were wheeling a groggy and in pain Cat back into the room, hooking her back up to the IV and resettling her in bed and muttering about incident reports. One by one they cleared out, until it was just Roadblock and Cat.

It was silent, as Cat sighed and leaned back on her pillows, looking everywhere but Roadblock as her eyes began to swim with tears again. Conversely, Roadblock was staring at Cat, trying to pick his next words wisely while stemming his growing rage.

He decided on kicking a chair over to the bedside, sitting down in it, and resting his elbows on the mattress, all while tapping his foot vigorously. He didn't know where to begin. Should he apologize for bringing her into his war in the first place? Or should he scream at her for disobeying orders and causing her to loose her legs?

He looked up when Cat breathed out a shaky sigh, tears falling. "I'm sorry, Block. I screwed up real bad."

He was silent for several heartbeats before he too sighed and grabbed her hand tightly in his, squeezing. "We both did."

"Do you think it can be fixed?" Cat asked, broken. She was referring to so many things; finding Cobra Commander, getting revenge for his comrades, obtaining peace for her friends, her legs...

"I don't know, Cat." Roadblock rubbed his eyes, not wanting her to see the emotions swirling in them. "But I do know that we're gonna try our damn hardest. We're JOEs; and JOEs never surrender."

"You're a JOE." Cat corrected, reaching for a tissue. Roadblock held up a finger to stop her, however, and placed a velvet box on her table.

"It's there if you want it," He spoke, before telling Cat he had to leave and finalize some matters. Soon after, a nurse came in to give her a dose of pain medication, but that little velvet box was in Cat's thoughts until she dozed off into a dreamless and black sleep.


	11. Ten: Battle Cry

**This is the part that I am most excited to write, these upcoming three chapters. I hope you enjoy these little moments as much as I do. **

**Also, say hello to an old friend this chapter! :)**

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In time, her legs healed. Cat picked up the broken pieces of her mind and did her best to put herself back together again. She had to remind herself that she had been through much, much worse, and this time, she had people who could pull her through. They hadn't been taken from her, not yet, not like the others had been. In the back of her mind, every time she moved her legs now, however, she was reminded of how useless she now really was.

Lady Jaye, Jinx, Flint and Roadblock visited her often, and she did appreciate their visits and constant concern. Even Storm Shadow had stopped by once, even though it was only fifteen minutes and he came in and out through the window. The visits she liked most however were Snake Eyes. The ninja always came in and leaned against the wall, nodding if Cat said "Hello," or remaining silent and respectful if she was having a break down. He answered her questions on notebook paper if asked, but most of the visits were spent in silence and thoughts.

Cat had been told by Roadblock that Snake had been the one to pull her from the ocean, and she while she still wasn't sure if she should be grateful for that, the ninja offered an air of protectiveness that allowed for Cat to not be on edge. On his visits she dropped her guard, and allowed her brain to meditate and zone into her own world while he watched out for her.

Today was one of those visits. Snake Eyes stood leaning against the wall, unmoving, while Cat just stared at the medal Roadblock had given her. An invitation, but for what? The healed nubs of her legs twitched under the covers, useless now. What possible use could she be to the JOEs now? And why would she ever want to jump back into that world?

"Ms. Blac?" Cat jumped at the sound of her name and snapped the velvet box shut, heart beating wildly. Snake Eyes had looked up at the interruption and was watching with interest, arms now uncrossed, and while he didn't have his katanas with him Cat knew he had weapons stashed somewhere on his person. The nurse smiled sheepishly and entered, with a shorter man following her. "You have a visitor."

The nurse left the room and Cat studied the man, her fingers tapping CIRIS under the covers of her bed. He was short for his size, and slightly bulky, but athletic, and he carried a backpack with him. What really caught her attention was when he greeted Snake Eyes and shook his hand.

"Ms. Blac," the man greeted, taking a seat next to her bed. "Snake Eyes has told me much about you."

The heart monitor began to beep faster as Cat got nervous. Snake Eyes left the wall and placed a hand on her shoulder. The man smiled at her. "My name is Breaker, and Roadblock asked me to help design you new legs."

She felt her heart drop to her stomach at this announcement, and all she could muster was a squeak. "W-what?"

"I started in the JOEs as their main hacker and code breaker," he began, clasping his hands together. "But before that, I dabbled in robotics and bioengineering at Drexel. Roadblock contacted me after the Fort Sumter incident about your condition and asked if I could help. I believe I can. My team has been working on new types of artificial limbs made specifically for running. We want to help."

Cat started at him, wide-eyed. "Are you saying that... I could run again?"

Breaker held up a hand. "In time and theory, yes. We need to design something to fit your line of work and get it made. That's the easy part. The hard part is all you; getting back to the level you were at beforehand will be difficult."

"But possible, right?" Cat was almost falling out of her bed in anticipation for his answer. Snake Eyes pulled her back slightly, worried she would roll off her bed.

"Possible," Breaker confirmed. He smiled and shook her hand, promising her that he would be in touch within the next few days, for measurements and her own ideas about what she would need in the limbs. Cat took the card, and thanked him again, before being stunned into silence.

Snake Eyes tapped her on the shoulder and wrote on his notepad, asking her if she was okay. With teary eyes, she nodded her head, sniffling.

"I'm just...shocked, Snake Eyes." She wiped at her eyes, blinking furiously to eliminate the water. "I was so useless in the fight, got myself mutilated, and you had to save my sorry ass, and now you guys are trying to help me? I don't understand."

Cat noticed Snake Eyes writing and took a deep breath. He stopped to listen to her continue. "When COBRA had me in custody, it was dog eat dog. If you couldn't fend for yourself, you died. When I escaped, I tried to suppress as much of their experiments and lessons that I could, but after being gone for ten or so years I found myself all alone. So I fended for myself, like I had been taught. When Stoop came asking for help, it was actually kind of...nice, in retrospect, to be apart of something better for once. But I became impulsive when I was trained not to be, and look where it got you all; Cobra Commander escaped, London decimated, and a cripple. You can see how it's hard for me to understand why you all would want to help the weak link in the fence."

The pen and paper he hand in his hands lowered, until he gently set it on the bedside table and walked out of the room. When he didn't come back after fifteen minutes, Cat sighed and gently rolled over, berating herself for stupidly thinking that he would respond when she just dropped a bomb on him like that. She gripped her phone under the sheets, resisting the urge to check CIRIS to see just where Snake Eyes had gone, and instead she glanced at the notebook. There was writing on it, and she grabbed it and read it carefully, more tears springing to her eyes. On his notepad, he had been writing all the things she had done for the team since they arrived in Washington D.C., being hunted and on the run. He was attempting to remind her of all she had done, and why she had been so important, and why she was still important. Setting the notepad down, her eyes caught the velvet box where the medal was stored, and she made her choice.

Outside her room, Snake Eyes smiled behind his mask and nodded to the nurse as he left.


	12. Eleven: The Space Between

**Hello all! Sorry for the long wait, college has restarted and I loose myself in my work all the time. Nursing is not easy! **

**Enjoy this chapter, and I will try to update as I can. Please stick with it and let me know what you think! **

* * *

The first time Cat stood with her prototype legs, she had her two nurses on either side of her and only Breaker in the room, watching her. She didn't want anyone from the JOES there, not even Snake Eyes, to see her do this and possibly fail, which was why the meeting was scheduled after hours. Cat wanted to succeed herself. She had all the tools, now she just needed her willpower.

Despite the sweat, she was soon standing by herself, the legs feeling ghostly familiar. The nurses helped her take a step, and then another, and Cat had never felt anything as exhilarating. This was rediscovering her freedom for a third time, and this time would be the charm.

A month later, after extensive therapy, Cat was released to the custody of the JOES, Roadblock in particular. He moved her into the base as a guest, as per the president, he had stated. Cat hadn't cared, but the underground facility did make her nerves act up. She still wasn't fully recovered yet, so that meant no traipsing outdoors, so she had been instructed.

Roadblock had thought the base would be good for Cat; it wouldn't leave her outside as she still recovered. He soon found that, while she made no complaints, he hardly ever saw her after the first month of her being there. She was never in her room when he went to check, was never seen at meals, and he couldn't find her about the base. It worried him.

He never found her because Cat didn't want to be found. Immediately she had found the plans of the base with CIRIS, downloading them onto her secure server and mostly using the vents, beams, and maintenance grates. It put strain on her still healing muscles, but she welcomed it. She had caused this, and she wasn't going to get better without work. And, to be honest, she was still ashamed of how she had acted during the battle; while Snake Eyes had assured her she had nothing to worry about with the JOES and their judgment, she still preferred to stay out of sight. This wasn't her home, this was theirs, and she still didn't feel any attachment.

Cat was already conditioning herself; the time she wasn't sneaking around, she was on the indoor track, running lightly even though the doctors had advised strongly against it. She knew better, however, and the only way to get used to her new legs was to push them. So she did, rebuilding all the lean muscle she had lost over the three months in the hospital.

Cat had been attempting some free running one night when she was sure that everyone had gone to sleep when she discovered the first flaw of her new legs. The foot part didn't have enough traction to get her up the wall. Her hands were already bleeding from scraping at the brick all for traction, and she was tired. Climbing this wall was not happening and she felt herself get frustrated. She could do this before, so why not now?!

Of course she knew the answer; she wasn't the same human, and she only had herself to thank for that. Before the tears could start, she pushed herself up and sprinted at the wall again, scratching at the ledge that was just out of reach before crashing, hard, to the ground.

"Great, just goddamn GREAT!" Cat yelled, pounding her fist against the floor. Tears pricked her vision but she got right back up, determined to make this run. Through blurry vision, she launched herself at the wall, her fingertips brushing the edge before she felt herself begin to loose momentum.

A gloved hand caught hers and held on, heaving her to the top of the ledge, and she looked into the mask of Snake Eyes, immediately feeling embarrassment. She hadn't even sought him out when she first got to base; all she was focused on was becoming better. He looked hard at her hands before looking at her, disappointment evident in his body language. Cat adverted her eyes, ripping her hands out of his in the process.

Snake Eyes knew why. Cat hadn't even approached him once since she had arrived on base, but he had seen her, heard her; sneaking through the vents, running at awful times of the night. She was trying to repair what was broken, he knew; but she was doing it for all he wrong reasons. She would only end up dead the next time she attempted to take on Cobra Commander again. She had promised, when she had gotten used to her legs, that she would take it easy.

They sat in silence, Cat wondering if she could escape and Snake Eyes waiting to see if she would talk. Her mouth opened and closed several times before she sighed, pulling her titanium legs close and impulsively scratching at it, like she had an actual itch. "I need to get back up to speed, Snake Eyes."

He handed her a notepad with the words 'In time' written on it. She huffed, looking at her bloody palms, and felt her cheeks redden. Obviously, this was evidence that she couldn't get to where she was without some sort of assistance. But she didn't want any; anyone who had ever helped her before had disappeared. But this was Snake Eyes, and Cat had seen what he could do; no doubt he could take care of himself. With the way she was going, she knew she was running downhill, but like always, she couldn't depend on anyone, lest COBRA found them.

She listened to her heartbeat before closing her eyes. Maybe, it was time to change.

A beat of silence occurred before she felt CIRIS beep curiously from her pocket, wondering about her increasing temperature. Cat tucked a loose strand behind her ear and cleared her throat before looking directly at Snake Eyes with courage she didn't know she had. "I need your help. I know... I know you already have done so much for me, and I hate asking, but... I need help. Your help."

He stared at Cat quietly, impressed she had enough confidence and trust in him to ask this major favor. He motioned for the notepad back and jotted down a quick 'Why me?' before handing it back.

Cat scratched at her palms, irritating them more, feeling her confidence waning. "Well, you've seen me in action and know my style, and I just don't think anyone else could keep up with me, even in this state. So," she bit her lip and wrung her hands together, but remade eye contact. "Will you help me?"


End file.
